Professor Itzhak Mizrahi and his group at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev approach science with the sensibility of artists, driven by curiosity, imagination, and a deep appreciation for beauty in complexity. Our research in microbial ecology explores how microscopic life shapes the chemical and ecological foundations of the world around us. From individual microbes to intricate networks of interactions, and ultimately to the assembly of entire communities, we study the invisible processes that sustain the cycles of life. We believe that science should be shared, felt, and experienced. Communicating the beauty of microbial life its structure, movement, and interconnectedness — is part of our responsibility as researchers. For us, outreach is not an obligation but a natural extension of our work. Collaborating with artists felt inevitable. Art offers a language capable of translating invisible processes into tangible experience. Through this encounter, we invite the public to see what we see every day in the lab: a living world of extraordinary elegance and quiet power.

Maya Dvash is an Israeli curator serving as the Chief Curator of the Design Museum Holon and the Israeli Cartoon Museum, a position she has held since 2016. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Editor-in-Chief for both institutions and was a member of the Design Museum Holon’s founding team in 2009, editing over ten of its catalogs. Dvash brings a rich background in publishing to her curatorial work, having previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Dvir Publishing, an editor at Modan Publishing, and the editor of Binyan VeDior magazine. She has also lectured on writing and curating at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design since 2007. Her extensive portfolio includes curating notable exhibitions such as State of Extremes, Sagmeister & Walsh: Retrospective, and Overview. Dvash holds degrees in Literature and Art and Curating from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and is currently completing her doctoral research in the field of Design Museology.

Tamara Anna Efrat is a multidisciplinary designer, researcher, and senior lecturer at the Department of Fashion Design at the University of Haifa. Her work explores the intersection of traditional craft and emerging technologies, merging handwork with algorithmic thinking, computational design, and advanced fabrication processes. Educated at Shenkar College and the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, her work has been exhibited internationally in leading museums and design platforms. Efrat collaborates with startups and research teams on wearable technologies, adaptive textile systems, sustainable materials, and bio-design, expanding the dialogue between materiality, technology, and living systems.

Dr. Ronit Milano is head of the Museum Studies program at the Department of the Arts in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She has published extensively on contemporary visual culture, museums, and heritage. She is currently finalizing a book-manuscript on museum activism in Israel. Her previous books include: The Portrait Bust and French Cultural Politics in the Eighteenth Century (Brill, 2015).